Jakob Heym,
a Jew trapped in a Polish ghetto, overhears news of a nearby Russian victory
on a Gestapo radio. Pretending to have heard the good news on his own
clandestine radio, Jakob passes the word on to his neighbors. Clinging
to this newfound hope of deliverance, Jakob's friends anxiously ask him
for regular reports of the Red Army's advance.A reluctant Jakob feels
obligated to invent more "good news" in order to provide his doomed community
with the courage to endure. This story was adapted for the screen by Holocaust
survivor Jurek Becker from his novel and is the only East German film
to be nominated for an Academy Award.

CRITICAL
ACCLAIM

"...
forceful, funny, and poignant... a heartwarming saga ..." - A.H. Weiler,
New York Times